C – care

Meron na ko nito ngayon.  From someone special and from a family na very special to me Pero pwede bang makahirit pa ng isa or dalawa pa or the more the many-er ‘ika nga Yung galing naman sa min.  Ang walang price tag.  Di kelangan VISA or MasterCard Don’t get me wrong.  Mejo marami rami na rin kasi ang solid proofs ko e. Yoko na lang sabihin kasi d magandang makipag-away dahil lang kay Ninoy o kay Pres. Roxas mas lalo na sa tarsier dun sa kulay orange na bago

H – him

Wag sanang magbago.  Yoko ng mas mahabang pasensya.  Okey na ko dun sa kung ano’ng meron noon hanggang ngayon.  Na kahit gaano ako kaloka-loka, love love love pa rin

R – right

Sana tama na ang lahat-lahat this 2012.  Kaloka masyado ang mga bills and payments due to hasty decisions and wrong choices.  Napakaimpulsive ko naman kasi masyado.  I must get back on track, focus on my dreams, and take it all from there.  To all distractions – pleasant or not – steady lang kayo, let me work muna

I – intensity

Mukhang kelangan kong maglevel up sa work.  Malamya masyado this year.  Daming procrastination.  Lower output than last year.  Di kaya sign of aging? Wag naman sana As I joggle through several things to work on, I really need to take care of myself so that I could give everything my best.  Bawal na ang magkasakit…thought sakitin talaga ako

S – surprises

Ang unang isusulat ko talaga sana e SHOES hahaha kaso kokontra na sya dun sa R Ito na lang mas maganda, mas selfless.  Feeling ko this year I lost my love for life As in! Di na ko masyadong nagpaplano.  Wala nang “something new”.  Di ko na rin masyadong naeenjoy ang bawat special occassion sa life ko.  Pano work na lang nang work.  Tuloy I became the dull Jacqui This year, kahit di masyadong bongga, basta enjoy, balik ulit tayo dun.  I’ll take time to smell the flowers, appreciate every morning, laugh with friends, etc.  Sa work – goodbye stress, mental fatigue, and exhaustion

T – time

Eto talaga ang pinakachallenging.  Yokong mangako.  Pero time na talaga for me to say goodbye to BEING LATE, TARDINESS, and sa TIRIK-TIRIK portion everday Nakakastress.  Nauubusan ako ng hormones.  Nakakasira ng araw Time na for me to change my favorite quotation into TIME IS GOLD.  Seriously.

M – me

Tama yata ang isang message dun sa Facebook app – love myself before I can love others.  Ang dami ko yatang kelangang bawiin for myself this 2012.  Not that much, don’t get me wrong.  Actually, mga personal talaga lahat.

Mahirap na mapagsabihan ulit ng MONSTER, o makarinig ng di masyadong kagandahang advice sa kanya na maghanap ng kagaya nyang good looking din, o dun mismo sa nagsabi na ngetpa ako Di ko naman sinabing maganda ako.  I know where I stand Pero hindi porke pangit ako sa paningin nyo, e maganda na kayo

Gusto ko nga rin sanang ilagay M for material.  Kaso hindi kagandahan.  Anyways, ang mga materyal na gusto ko e pansarili lang din naman tagala, as in for me din naman talaga, kaya ME na lang

A – anger

Mahirap din to.  Lalo na pag nananahimik ako at talagang sinusukat ang pasensya ko.  FORTITUDE.

I admit, I’ve been angry at times this 2011.  Nagalit ako dun sa talagang obvious na copycats, dun sa naglagay ng BOBO GAGA sa files ko [sinadya man o hindi], dun sa nagparinig masyado sa facebook e hindi naman kami friendship, dun sa feeling close, sa plastic na friend sa harap then patalikud ang tira, dun sa hindi pa nagsoSORRY, sa obvious na nahihirapan makamove on sa nangyari sa min, dun sa hindi ko pa kayang patawarin, sa napatawad ko na pero di ko pa makalimutan ginawa nila, pati na din sa mga common friends na ako lang yata ang mali all the time pero yung totoong may kasalanan e alagang alaga nila, dun sa assuming and sa presumptuous Brad Pitt kuno na akala yata e head over heels in love ako sa kanya yet d na sya pwedeng agawin kasi may Angelina Jolie na sya.  Alam nyo na kung sino kayo Alam kong magugulat kayo pag nabasa nyo to.  That’s right.  I sensed everything all the time. Call me paranoid or whatever, but you can at least check within yourself if I hit it bull’s eye…that’s if you can try not to be hyprocrite for once in your life.

I was hurt.  Badly hurt.  Kasi friends naman pala tayo e bakit you chose to hurt me?  Then there was anger.  Pasensya na tao lang pero talagang nagalit ako sa inyo Ayan nasabi ko na, moving on…

S – sorry

Sa mga sinadya ko talagang saktan or gantihan or paringga, SORRY.  Motto ko kasi: For every action there’s an equal reaction.  Inunahan nyo ko e Di bale pag naisipan nyo uli akong unahan, di na ko magrereact hahanap na lang ako ng ibang mas importanteng gawin kesa igrant ang ineexpect nyong cheap fight

My sincerest apologies naman dun sa nasaktan ko nang hindi sinasadya.  Pagpasensyahan nyo na ang lola nyo.  Minsan talaga kasi kahit hindi pa menopausal stage e talagang nawawala sya sa sarili nya.  Sabihin nyo sa kin nang harapan pag nahurt ko kayo ha.  Lahat naman pwedeng idaan sa professional na pag-uusap.  Wala namang deadline ang explanation e

Despite of my busy schedule I still took some time to share happy moments with my new found friends.  I laughed with them.  I worked with them.  Serious or not, for business or for pleasure, their company was awesome.  Until I realized that too much of something is bad enough.  That no matter how I deny it I am guilty of overdoing it.  To the point that I was already hurting the only person whom I owe everything that I have right now.

I thought I was Wonder Woman That if I can joggle several jobs I could also balance everything in my life.  I could.  But not all. There are things that I need to let go and things that I need to retain.  Now I’m faced with a dilemma with an added painful truth that I am not that lucky enough to be blessed with the best of both worlds – love and friendship.

Friendship.  That’s how I label this one problematic side in my life.  Surprisingly, outsiders and other third party onlookers do not see it that way.  Is it them who are malicious or is it me who is paranoid?  Whatever is the reason for this confusion, it’s certain that something is wrong.  I tried hard to solve the problem which I thought was a simple problem of letting the world accept that a man and a woman can be friends and no more than that.  Then I realized it was easier said than done.  The problem was far more complicated than Calculus or Quantum Physics or Materials Chemistry

As I tried holding on to what I thought was an extra challenge in my life, that if I succeed in retaining it I’d be able to let the world know that they are wrong, I was faced with a crumbling personal relationship.  How sensitive of me not to feel that the people already close to me were already fed up with everything I didn’t see it coming…

Fighting for my new found friendship, though unnecessary, was done.  Then I realized I was fighting on my own.  Added to that was the fact that all of a sudden I became the number one malicious antagonist in the play of our lives.  Despite of countless attempts to pacify things I was misunderstood, ignored, left in solitude, and was made to feel NOT IMPORTANT.  Unfair! Brutal! Heartless!

With this realization, I kept fighting.  To gain back the kind of life that I used to have before I let newcomers join my life.  I was happy.  I was contented.  I was loved.

Lessons Learned:

1. Never invest too much emotions on anything.
2. Expectations aren’t met sometimes.
3. Don’t expect a whirlwind affair (even friendship) to last for long.
4. Choose wisely.
5. Sacrifices are never necessary when relationships (love or friendship) are for real.

At this point in my life, I can say that I am terribly hurt.  I feel betrayed.  Battered.  Most importantly, I have never felt so alone…because even if someone is still there for me, I feel that I have given him more than enough reasons to be just there physically but with no more heart Ask me what happened to that thing I fought for?  Nowhere to be found.  Left me fighting as a one-woman army.  Ignored me.  Just because it cannot withstand the blows of life it went back to its shell.

Time to forget the people who hurt you, who left you, who abandoned you…time to make it up to the people who matter most…time to earn back my life…time to move on.  I’m ready to go back to square one and start anew.   Draw my plans again.  Rekindle the love that I almost lost.  Stop wasted dramas over people who since the start considered me as pampalipas-oras, an entertainer, their personal clown.  Someone who cannot stand by you through thick and thin is never worth your time.  And bring myself back on track….and this begins in 10…9…8…7…

At work, clients come and go.  Assignments come and go.  Tasks come and go.  Deadlines come so fast yet the pile of work never decrease in number.

I am someone who completes a monthly schedule at my most organized state and completes a weekly schedule at my busiest and most disorganized state.  Imagine me completing a day-to-day schedule…Need I say more?  To top that, I used to work strictly for 5days a week only; that is, Monday to Friday for at most 12 to 15 hours a day.  Nowadays, I’m working almost 24/7.  If there’s such thing as 25/8 I could have gotten a schedule for that too.

Just like work, people come and go.  Every hello’s mean a lot to me.  But I really hate goodbyes, much worst is parting time without any goodbyes.  I used to think that parting only hurts if you’ve been with someone for such a long time…I was wrong.  The feeling was much worst when you get to know the person in such a very short span of time, shared genuine laughs with the person, had a great and countless fun times with the person, and then all of a sudden he’s gone.  What’s sicker than that is when you know the person is just there but can no longer share good times with you for some selfish crappy reasons.  In that case, you can’t help but think – was it all for real?  or was everything for fun only?  It felt so good that you enjoyed a lot and you can’t help but think that it was all for real.  But dropping you in just a snap makes the whole thing appear soooo superficial, so fake, so shallow.

Combine all these and who wouldn’t get a headache? The roller coaster ride of emotions is soooo much for me to take.  With no one to COMPLETELY share the whole thing, the whole ordeal, your heart will surely feel bloated and battered.   Makes me wonder how many neurons have I wasted already.  I’m not someone who easily gets dark circles under my eyes.  I don’t even get eyebags that easily.  But with all these, I look harassed.

“First things first”, I said to myself.  But how can you get the priority tasks done when here comes another new set of tasks which needs to be done quickly?

“Business first before pleasure”,  I also said to myself.  But I sometimes find myself crying over a pile of never ending work and over people who I need to give up for some reasons.

Please don’t get me wrong.  I’m not complaining.  But I only have one appeal:  one stress at a time please   I can’t wait for me to get all these done and over with.  When that happens,

1. I’d surely go to a spa or a salon and pamper myself.  I can’t remember when was the last time I had a massage or facial.

2. Visit a doctor for a much-needed long overdue check up.

3. Nourish my soul – go to church, read, and bring back all the good vibes.

4. FALL IN LOVE again.  That will surely complete everything.

For now, let me park my cursor here and get back to work before sunrise catches up with me.

Here are photos of drinks that I’ve encountered as I hop from one resto to another…take note, I said “resto” NOT “bar” Wholesome ey?

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Don’t drink and drive.

CHEERS

At Krua Thai

Krua Thai Authentic Cuisine is one of the many restos here in our place.  This restaurant is located at Smallville Business Center, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

“Krua Thai” simply means Thai Kitchen.  I’m not really sure what happens in any Thai kitchen but I really love the harmony of all ingredients in every Thai menu.

Here are some photos we took when we had dinner at Krua Thai:

from the placemat to the utensils, the look has an impressive native touch

guess they knew it was our anniversary so they gave us heart-shaped serving of rice

forgot the exact name of the shrimp-based addition to my rice but I really love its spicy taste

At Banana Leaf

Banana Leaf is a restaurant we randomly chose while strolling around The Terraces in Cebu.  Its also menu offers some Thai food.  Here are photos of the ones we ordered:

wondering why it’s called banana leaf?

now, I know why

I couldn’t take the taste of the Thai drink (the one inside the taller glass) so I ordered bottled water

For those who love Thai food or those who are interested in knowing how Thai food tastes, hope this post helps.  The menus above may look different but for us who are leaning more towards the safe side than the adventurous side, you’re assured that the said dishes will suit your Filipino cravings plus it won’t get you into any stomach-related trouble

แล้วพบกันใหม่

The second time was confusing.  We went to the same place but we found out that their location was already replaced by another food shop.  Going through the next connecting route, we found Imay’s at their new location – Smallville.  Awesome!  Now that makes us very near to all other clubs after dining Our orders:

This one’s hubzky’s favorite – the ever alluring crab   I forgot to take photos of the soup we ordered because the crab was really delicious.  Made me forgot my name huh And for dessert,

I’m not a cake-lover.  But I don’t know what’s with blueberry cheesecake that made me love it.  Is it the cheese?  Is it the blueberry topping?  Whatever it is, I sooo love it!

Without our knowledge, that will become our last visit to Imay’s.  After a month or so, we tried to visit the place again for another family dinner.  Sadly, after searching for it all over Smallville and Boardwalk, we can no longer find it Now we have no more seafood resto to go to.

I know what you’re thinking There are lots of seafood resto out there.  How come Imay’s going to be your only choice?  Simple.  Imay’s offer affordable and tasty seafood menu that no other resto can provide.  Others are too expensive While some offer menu that doesn’t satisfy our taste buds

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a worker or a blogger for Imay’s.  I’m not even a food blogger or whatever kind of blogger you can think of.  In the truest essence of a blog, I only write down important happenings in my life through this online journal.  I can’t keep a diary because it’s sooooo old season besides, I can’t keep pictures through there.

Anyways, Imay’s, wherever you are right now, hope you’ll be back soon

Most of the time, disputes involving laws and other legal matters arise between employers and employees.   With or without the anomalies, labor unions are more often than not, present in almost all workplaces. The employees form labor unions to primarily protect their rights from abusive and dishonest employers.

In this regard, I’ve always believed that disputes will never occur when: (1) an employer is honest enough in terms of payment and work and (2) an employee is satisfied with his pay and work.  Simple, but sometimes hard to achieve.  Employers will always struggle through problems forcing them to act dishonestly against their workers.  Employees will always seek for a greener pasture.

Company problems arise when one or two people directly involved with the major functions of the company fail to maintain company stability.  Such incident is nothing but a disgrace to the company and so admins usually cover things up.  Once a small info leak out and are made known to the employees, they react in various ways.  Ideal employees will cooperate with the company to regain back stability.  But we all know that no matter how loyal an employee is to his Boss, at the end of the day he will realize that his stomach is empty.  On the other hand, normal reaction from among the employees would be to form groups or unions thinking that more heads are better than one or as the cliche goes, “There is strength in unity.“

It’s interesting to know that most of the time companies win over battles versus labor unions.  Take note, I didn’t say all battles.  Why?  Simply because admins in most companies are solid, one, united, strong.  What about labor unions?  Here are some personal observations:

Lip Service

Some labor unions are headed by pseudo-strong people.  These people appear so brave during rallies and meetings.  They are very good at drafting terms, agreements, and other conditions.  But they forgot that they should spend more time in drafting terms for the solidarity of their union members.

When worst comes to worst, some labor union leaders are not even dead serious about the union’s principles.  They’re just there as spokesperson whose function is merely to speak without thinking.  For these “cool” leaders, it’s OK when the problem is solved it’s OK when the problem still continues.

Two-Faced Honesty

While some members are honest in serving the ideologies of the union, some are like Judas while some are two-faced.

Judas betrayed and sold Jesus.  Two-faced people are those who appear to be supportive, a fighter in front of the union members but a traitor when faced with the company admins.

Corruption

Employers know that employees need money and work.  This simple fact is enough for them to pay one or more members or even the group leader.  Sad to say that some leaders and even some members would resist at first but will eventually fall into the trap of the employers. Even the ones who start bravely and honestly will have the tendency to be disillusioned especially when they’re already faced with $$$$ and other promises.

At this point, one should remember what Muhammad said, “3 signs of a hypocrite – when he speaks he speaks lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, when he is trusted he betrays his trust.“

The initial resistance may be taken as “nagpapapresyo”.  The acceptance is the time when ideally one loses his/her self-respect and dignity.

The most sad thing is when labor union leaders leave their members in exchange for a higher pay or a company position without knowing that these too shall pass.

The Surrender

By “surrender” I meant the very act of showing to the company or employers your need for income and work.  Companies and employers are aware that sudden strikes or rallies would mean harm to their company but it is easier for them to find other workers than for those who left to find for another job.

One wrong move of labor unions is their tendency to surrender to offers and incentives. Even those who start as strong union members may eventually surrender as they make it obvious to the company or their employers that they have nowhere else to go.

The Retreat

The most frustrating part of labor union struggles is when they retreat without knowing that they’re almost winning the battle.  Labor union leaders fail to realize the great need for solidarity by failing to bring the workers together to resist abusive employers.  They forgot to “train” their people not to be lured by money and the convincing tactics and intimidation of/by the employers.

Retreats eventually develops into disunity.  Until such time when the Labor Union, which was once formed out of the strong will to fight for what’s right, is gone with the wind.  When worst comes to worst, the battle which initially started with company versus the labor union eventually develop into labor union members versus their leader or among themselves.

Taking a closer look at labor unions, struggles, battles and lawsuits involving companies and employees, one can see that everything started out from a simple problem.

Perhaps the company is facing financial instability.  But because the admins can’t accept such fact, they will continue with their lifestyle at the expense of the employees.  When the employees realize that they’re already not paid correctly, they form groups, submit a petition which will then be taken NEGATIVELY by the employers.  Truth is, the group is only asking for the company’s explanation or plea regarding delays, decreases, etc.

In reality, companies seldom give explanations.  But seeing the admins living a wealthy lifestyle while the employees are suffering from delayed payments, make things even worst.  True, indeed!

Who would even dare to eat stake while his employees eat nothing?

Who can afford to go on a vacation while his employees cannot even afford to pay the jeepney fare?

And while the employees are waiting in vain with empty stomach, their employers enjoy having breakfast and a good laugh with his friends or colleagues at a fancy restaurant.

If the company wasn’t so proud enough to have discussed things with their employees, UNDERSTANDING and CLARITY should have been the very solution to avoid further disagreements.  Couple that with HONESTY plus a touch of SYMPATHY will even make things brighter & beneficial for both parties.

To the employers concerned: This is no drama.  This is in fact one form of PR.

To the discouraged labor unions: This serves as an eye-opener.  How can something so great, fail in the end?

The Night Before

I went home at around 12mn…and I still have work to do.  This work is my number 1 priority of all the things I do for a living.  The remaining 4hrs of my 8-hr work schedule should cover all of the tasks I need to finish for the day.

It was already 5AM and I’m still not done with everything.  Take note, I’m not even sleepy during that time.  I guess it was because I was very excited to go on board and see hubby in Cebu

I arrived at Mactan airport at around 10 in the morning.  While waiting for my bag – which, despite of its size, I still checked it in – I found out that the airport has free wifi.  I quickly opened my phone, logged in through Facebook Mobile, and updated my FB status saying “hello cebu”.

First problem: where to find a cab.

I texted Hubby who is waiting for me in Pier Cuatro Hotel.  He instructed me to go straight ahead then go up to find the white taxi.  There are actually yellow taxi just in front of the airport.  So I went straight ahead and moved up…but there was no white taxi anywhere.  I looked around and found people crossing and going through this particular stairs.  I followed them and there I found white cabs Whew!

I didn’t like the driver.  He was annoying me.  Perhaps he sensed that I’m not from the place so he kept asking for pamasko.  At first I just smiled but when I got irritated with his repetitive demands, I snapped out at him and told him to just drive! He kept his mouth shut

Since it’s my first time and I was afraid that the driver will go through other routes to increase the meter reading, I used the Google Maps feature of my phone.  Cool ey? Good thing we were going through the right direction.

10:30AM – I arrived at Pier Cuatro Hotel.  Did I mention that it was Hubby who researched for this place? Yep, my handsome guy did.  Very cozy and economical.  Although that time, the hotel was undergoing maintenance, I already found the hotel very nice – nice staff, nice place, practical place to stay since it’s accessible to almost everywhere (malls, ports, etc).

For our lunch, we only ordered from the Hotel Resto instead of going out to order.  This way I can have time to rest while having lunch.

In the middle of lunch, I remembered I need to pay for an item I ordered online.  PROBLEM – where can I find a GCash center.  Hubby and I took a cab which brought us to SM City Cebu.  I noticed that the mall was kind of big – too many wings and avenues but lots of interesting stores We went to a particular wing which houses all stores that sell electronic gadgets and services.  Unfortunately none of the stores that cater to GCash remittances accept payments with no ID from the sender…frustrating…Good thing, the seller of the item I ordered was kind and considerate enough to wait for my payment the day after my due date.

Upon receipt of the seller’s OK, hubby and I took a cab.  Take note, it took us some time to find the taxi lane…haha!  We were at some place overlooking Radissu blu before we could hop in a cab to bring us to…oppps we forgot our itinerary ah, Taoist Temple!

Then, Manong Driver, offered to be our tour guide for the whole day.  I was hesitant at first.  But I was ready.  I did my own research and I’m aware how much a taxi should ask as payment for a whole day tour.  So I asked Manong Driver and he only asked us to pay for the meter reading plus 200 for the waiting fee.  I did the math and estimated that it will be equal to or less than Php1800, which is the usual payment for a day tour in Cebu.  After some convincing and negotiations, off we go to Taoist Temple.

It felt great while we were passing by the IT Avenue, seeing those tall buildings and even those that are still under construction.  Seeing UP Cebu was awesome! The hotels, malls, and more were really terrific!

After Taoist temple, Manong Driver brought us to Mactan where we passed by

Lapu-Lapu Shrine

Shangri-La Hotel

The visit to Hilton Hotel in Mactan was a dream come true.  Here are some photos:

I was still in cloud nine while going back to Cebu City then we passed by a very interesting building with “Big Foot” and a film-like signage of the International Academy of Film & Television.

After Mactan, off we go to Magellan’s Cross,

The Basilica/Cathedral, to see the Sto. Nino image and to light some candles for some wishes/prayers.  I was so happy that I wasn’t able to ask/wish for more

We ended the day with a visit to Fort San Pedro.  Funny because it was just near our Hotel and we didn’t know.

We rested for a while and visited The Terraces for a hearty Cebuano dinner at the Banana Leaf   The food was super except for my Thai tea which tasted like a mix of coffee mixed with grass juice

We wondered why the resto is called “Banana Leaf”.  Here’s why:

I was really surprised that just like Iloilo City, Cebu City kinda sleeps too Despite of the modern image of Cebu, I still noticed that some part of it are still grounded and kinda conservative.  The exception is along Mango Avenue, where Cebu City night life is really alive.

Of all the clubs in Mango Avenue, hubby and I chose the 22nd St. Comedy Bar. We were informed at the front desk that all seats in the bar are already taken.  But hubby and I still opted to stand.  Good thing we found 2 unoccupied seats at the side of the bar.

The bar was really jampacked that night.  I ordered french fries and frozen margarita and I super love both weeeeeee At around 2AM the visitors started leaving. Probably because most people still need to attend the misa de gallo…talk about being grounded

We called it a day at around 3AM…

Day 2

The night before our flight back to Iloilo, hubby and I planned to go to Ayala Center to shop and to buy pasalubong.  So we need to wake up by 8AM to give us time to pack up since our flight back to Iloilo is at 2PM.

Unfortunately, we woke up at 12noon!!!  In a flash, hubby and I packed up and off we went to the airport.

Along the way, I didn’t look at the malls, the stores, etc.  I felt bad for not waking up early.  I even hated my CP alarm clock! I just felt better when hubby told me that it happened because Cebu wants us back [har har]!  Awwww sweet!

At around 2PM, we bid goodbye to Cebu City.

Lessons learned:
Do your own research before going to any place.
Although you need to have extra cash with you, always stick to your budget.
Don’t be in a hurry, enjoy every moment.

Surprisingly, you were there lifting me up during my lowest moments.  Unlike what many have predicted about us, about you, you have proven them all WRONG!  I don’t have to explain the details and the specifics, but your whole-month gestures humbled me, impressed me, and made me feel loved…something that I’ve never felt and experienced before…something that I expected from people I loved yet they never gave it to me…

Words aren’t enough to say how thankful I am for everything that you have done for me.  You have filled my February with too much love and care.  I’m ashamed that sometimes I had to believe what other people say and I had to make you face their ordeal.  Shame on me…because you have also proven me wrong.

It’s not about the surprise pre-Valentine dinner.  It’s more than the daily “I love Yous”.  It’s not about the hugs and the kisses.  It’s not about you waking up early to wake me up because I’ll be late for work.  It’s not about you checking my test papers It’s not about you doing errands for me.  It’s more than these…And for that, I’ll be forever grateful to you.

True to your promises, you have shown me bottomless love and patience.  Even if I snap out at you sometimes, you returned it with soothing words and love.  Even if I’m stressed and intentionally ignores you, you patiently waited.  Oh, did I mention how touched I was when you told me you missed me just because I skipped having breakfast and lunch with you?  That melted my heart…

I hope this note won’t annoy you You know me…Unlike you, I’m expressive.  But unlike me, you’re such a sweet silent worker

“So before Feb 2011 ends, allow me to say from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.  You are heaven-scent. The answer to my prayers.“

I’ve decided to re-visit the site by simply “Googling” these keywords – Portrait Kingdom.  After reaching beyond top 20 search results, I stumbled upon this web site which also offers the same service as Portrait Kingdom – http://www.gfmpainting.co.uk/general/portraitsamples-46

Without the trouble of going through their sub-pages, I already found familiar portraits.  Portraits which are surely painted for and owned by Portrait Kingdom.  I should know because those were the very portraits ordered/commissioned through a Virtual Sales Manager I used to train.

I immediately searched for the gfmpainting’s contact info.  Here are the information I got:

email address: info@gfmpainting.co.uk
contact number: 07834 393 396

After sending an email, I’ve decided to call and pretend as if I’m trying to commission a portrait from them.  To my surprise, the number doesn’t exist.  It’s like a dead line.  So I’ve decided to forward everything to the owner of Portrait Kingdom.

The next day, I received an email from PK’s owner that gfmpainting has already deleted the images.  I had the chance to double-check and to my dismay, they only deleted images from this page http://www.gfmpainting.co.uk/general/portraitsamples-46 but they have not deleted the stolen images from their other pages.  As a proof, here are screenshots:

Such a disgrace!  They are most likely selling their services using other company’s products.  I’m not sure how to call them.  Are they THIEVES?  LIARS? But one thing is certain – they fool people/customers by making them think that they’re expert artists in the field of portrait painting by showing the works of Portrait Kingdom.  SHAME ON YOU gfmpainting!!!

Since they do not answer back through email and since their phone number is a bogus number, I’ve decided to find the owner or webmaster.  Here’s what I got:

Registrant:
Louis Thesailankaimannan

Registrant’s address:
877319188 67-69
ruxley lane
Epsom
Surrey
KT19 0JG
United Kingdom

I tried to contact the number mentioned above but it connected me to an American bank!!!  I’m not sure though if I dialled the number correctly

To continue, I’ve decided to search through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  Here are the accounts I found:

Gfmpainting Facebook page
Louis Thesailankaimannan page
GFmpainting Twitter account

Portrait Kingdom already contacted them, messaged them, emailed them, but no response. Flooding their social networking pages with requests to remove PK’s portrait photos from their website didn’t give any positive result. They did not respond.

To GFMpainting, how can you afford to advertise/sell your services using other people’s output?

Whoever is your web designer or webmaster, they should be reminded of the consequences that go with COPYRIGHT VIOLATIONS and DUPLICATE WORK.  If they are professional, they should be creative enough to at least remind themselves of the importance of ORIGINALITY!  Afterall, what they did isn’t cloning but the very act of STEALING!!!

Here’s a simple advice: CREDIBILITY starts with HONESTY!